The invention relates to humidifiers, and more particularly to evaporative home humidifiers.
One conventional type of home humidifier includes a housing or cabinet with a reservoir or tank of water and a stationary wick assembly in the cabinet. The lower end of the wick assembly is located in the water reservoir to absorb the water. Air blown through the wick element evaporates water from the wick element and transfers the water to the atmosphere. With a stationary wick, the level of water in the reservoir should remain relatively constant to provide for both continuous absorption of water by the wick and sufficient air flow through the wick. An example of this type of humidifier is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,511 issued May 5, 1992.
It is known to provide a float assembly in the water reservoir for deactivating the humidifier when the water level is deficient. A typical float assembly includes a float and a float rod extending upwardly from the float. The float rod is commonly supported by a stationary retainer mounted to the inside of the humidifier housing. When the water level is sufficient, the upper end of the float rod closes an activation switch and the humidifier operates. As the water level falls, the float and the float rod descend, guided by the retainer, until the float rod no longer closes the activation switch, at which point the humidifier is deactivated. An example of this type of float assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,663, issued Apr. 28, 1992.